Waiting for Forever
by PrettyLittleWreck
Summary: Toby notices some odd characteristics Sarah has. Like the way she had different lollipop flavors for everyday or the way she had tendency to smile at a spot above someone's head. What he also notices is the way she seems to always be waiting for somebody she can't seem to find. SarahXJareth I promise it's better then it sounds so please just read it!


Waiting for Forever

**Disclaimer:** **I do not own Labyrinth** **or the characters! This story takes place 20 years after the movie so Sarah's 35 and Toby's 21. This is a one-shot only so it will not be continued. However, I might make some other Labyrinth stories. Anyways, hope you all enjoy! Reviews are appreciated-even the bad ones!**

Toby and his parents never got along well. Toby loved his parents and they were close until he reached 14. They adored him and spoiled him, but they didn't seem to notice Sarah. He never noticed when he was younger. But once he realized it he questioned it all the time, and they always answered with "Sarah's all grown up now so we just don't talk much anymore" or "Sarah doesn't want us doting over her all the time-it embarrasses her." But Toby knew they were wrong. Every time they told Toby they loved him and gave Sarah the cold shoulder, he saw the hurt flash across her face before she gained control again and acted like it didn't bother her. And so he started getting more and more distant from his parents and closer to Sarah. As soon as he hit eighteen he moved out of their house and into Sarah's. So it was no surprise that he knew her better than anyone else. He remembered when he was young and she would make him food and read him stories. He still had Lancelot, the little stuffed bear she had given him when he was just a baby. And now that he lived with her, he saw everything no one else did. He saw the way her fingers constantly went up to her lips to twirl the lollipop that was always in her mouth before she realized she didn't have one at the moment and put her hands back in her lap, a slight blush playing across her face. He saw the way she searched through all her lollipops (she adores them and has a stash hidden in her room-only he knows where it is) before she found one the color she wanted (she had a certain flavor each day-red for Monday and Tuesday, orange for Wednesday and Thursday, blue for Friday and Saturday, and chocolate for Sunday). Then he saw the little habits she had that made him worry about her. He saw the way she'd smile at somebody, and then her smile would dim and her eyes would go glossy for a second, as if she was dazed, before she snapped back into reality. He saw the way she would stare out a window as if looking for someone or something or focus on a spot just behind someone's head as if she saw something no one else did. A few times she really startled him-once when they were watching a movie and she suddenly gasped, her back arching as she twitched up, sitting rod straight before she relaxed and sat back against the couch. Toby had instantly asked her if she was ok and she laughed and assured him that she was. Then one time she had been smiling at him and then her smile just dropped, her shoulders hunching and her eyes losing their brightness before she straightened out and put her smile back on, eyes sparkling again. And she was waiting for something. Always waiting. He wasn't sure what she was waiting for, but he had a feeling she was. Once when she was tired and glancing out the window like always, he had asked her what she was looking for.

"A white owl." She replied.

"A white owl?" he repeated, confused.

"Yes. A white, majestic owl. He promised he'd come, so I'm waiting for him to show up."

"You're not making any sense, Sarah. Are you looking for a white owl, or a person?"

"He's both, I suppose." After that Toby had given up, sighing and sitting next to her, pulling her into an embrace. She instantly turned to smile at him. They had both changed a lot. Sarah's hair was still dark brown and thick, but was now curly and hung freely to practically her waist. She was beautiful, really. Toby was tall-6 foot 2-and muscular. His hair was a sandy blonde and hung to just below his shoulders. His mother had tried to convince him to cut it, but he refused. Despite how much younger he was, he was very protective of Sarah. Sometimes he wished she would get a boyfriend-or even a girlfriend-just somebody for her to love and trust besides him. He confronted her about it once.

"I can't, Toby. I just can't." she said desperately.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Because it'd feel like betraying Jareth." At first he thought she was kidding. Jareth was just a character from a book-a book she had read to him many times before. But as soon as he saw the look in her eyes, he knew she wasn't joking. She was seriously in love with a fictional character. He almost laughed. Only his sister would be so devoted to someone who doesn't exist. He would've laughed, had he not seen the almost pained look she had when she said his name. After that day he never said a word about her nonexistent love life. Sarah knew he didn't understand. He had been too little to be able to remember the time he had spent in the Goblin King's castle. She never forgot, though. She always saw glimpses of him-in her dreams, standing behind her when she looked in the mirror, even heard his voice call her name on the wind-but he was always just out of her reach. She sighed. Toby had fallen quiet, staring at his food blankly. She allowed herself a small smile and ruffled his hair affectionately.

"If you sit there it'll go cold." She told him. He looked up at her.

"Sorry Sarah." He apologized. She pressed her lips to his forehead.

"I'm going to bed, Toby. I'll see you in the morning. Don't do drugs while I'm asleep." She said, a teasing grin playing across her lips.

"I probably won't do meth." He responded. She laughed and disappeared upstairs and into her bedroom. Toby sighed and went to the couch, leaving his food sitting on the table. Just as he was about to turn on the T.V., he heard footsteps upstairs. At first he thought it was Sarah, but then he realized that they were too heavy to be hers. Running to the kitchen and grabbing a knife, he then slowly made his way up the stairs. When he got upstairs he saw the door to Sarah's room slightly open, and he could feel his heart beating faster and faster in panic. He made his way to her room and when he saw who was crouching over her bed while she slept peacefully, he froze. He looked exactly like she had described him in her stories. His hair was wild, sticking up everywhere. His clothes were grand, looking like they came out of a fairy tale. His eyes were wonderful, one the color of melted chocolate and the other a hypnotizing blue. Jareth looked up at him as soon as he was aware of his presence.

"Hello again, young Toby." His eyes flicked to the knife in Toby's hand. He smiled.

"Glad to see you're always ready to defend her." Toby could hear the laughter in his voice when he talked. Toby found himself nodding dumbly. Jareth turned his gaze back to Sarah's sleeping from, tenderly brushing a stray hair behind her ear. She mumbled his name in her sleep and he smiled at her. Then Toby blinked and he was gone. He rubbed his eyes, wondering if it had even been real. He made his way downstairs and replaced the knife to its rightful spot. He sat down on the couch and sighed, running a hand through his hair.

_It'd feel like betraying Jareth. I'm waiting for him to show up._

She really had been talking about Jareth the entire time. He fell asleep there on the couch, thinking about the Goblin King and the soft, gentle look he had given to Sarah. When he woke up the next morning Sarah was in the kitchen, cooking their breakfast. She always made him oat meal, bacon, toast and sausage on the weekends since she was off and it was his favorite breakfast foods. He stretched and yawned. She turned to him and smiled.

"Morning sleepy head." She greeted. He walked over and pulled out two glasses and the milk carton.

"Be a dear and put some chocolate syrup in it for me, would you, Toby?"

"Sure thing Sarah." He responded and did as she asked. As they sat at the table and enjoyed their meal, Toby couldn't help but question her about Jareth.

"Remember when you said you couldn't find a boyfriend because it'd feel like hurting Jareth?" he asked. She nodded. "Could you go into more details?"

"Jareth is my one true love, Toby. I know I haven't seen him in twenty years, but I still love him, and I'll continue to wait for him." she sighed. "But it seems he'll make me wait for forever."

_She doesn't know he visited her. I wonder if he does that every night._

He let out a laugh, trying to brighten up the mood.

"I'm sure he's just as anxious to see you as you are to see him." he told her. She smiled.

"Yeah, you're probably right." She said and they continued to eat, though they were both a lot more cheerful. After breakfast they went out to run some errands, they went to an art studio, and then, once Sarah saw a cute puppy she saw in a window, she dragged him around looking for a new dog for them.

"Sarah, we don't need a dog. They're too troublesome and you already have me to deal with-you'd go crazy with another thing to take care of!" he tried to talk her out of it.

"Oh but Toby it will be just like having another little baby to take care of! I remember when you were small I loved taking care of you so a puppy will be a wonderful thing to have!" she said enthusiastically. So in the end they ended up with a brand new red Irish setter puppy named Ludo. Toby had no idea why she named him that of all things, but he knew not to argue with her once she had her mind set on something. For the next few days Toby kept his eye out for Jareth, but saw no sign of him. He started to resent the Goblin King for making his sister wait for him. Then the resentment turned to fascination. The Goblin King was real! Toby had always loved the character, and he wondered if he'd like the person if he met him. Now when he saw Sarah waiting for the love she hadn't seen in twenty years, he silently sat by her and wrapped an arm around her while Ludo lay at her feet. Because if she was waiting for Jareth, he might as well wait with her so they could at least wait together.


End file.
